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Commentary

By Ken Esten Cooke— There is a special gal in town who needs our support in her ongoing tough battle with a rare disease.

Marley Bedford, the three-year-old namesake of “Sweet Marley’s” yogurt and sandwich shop, will have another surgery on Feb. 17 to address complications of Rhizomelic Chondro Dysplasia Punctata, or “Rhizo,” a rare disease that affects fewer than 100 children nationwide.

Most children with the disease don’t live to see their first birthday, yet Marley is not three and has walked and talked, far more than was ever expected.

It’s “Crime Stoppers Month” in Texas, and we take time to recognize the growth and popularity of this organization as well as all the volunteer time and effort given by our local entity’s board of directors.

Crime Stoppers, Inc. was founded in 1976 in Albuquerque, N.M., as a way for the public to give a helping hand to law enforcement agencies. Using citizens to solicit tips on crime was a novel concept at that time, yet these days we must do our part to help guard against everything from violent crime to petty theft.

Tony Klein, chairman of the Gillespie County Crime Stoppers group, reminded that while citizens can help stop criminal activity, they themselves may also be in for some reward money.

The hallmark of the organization is that it guarantees anonymity for those who call in a tip (or text or submit via the organization’s website, as current technology allows).

What’s so special about Sunday, other than Feb. 2 being the date of the Band Boosters’ turkey dinner, niece Kallie’s birthday and the Super Bowl?

Why, it’s Ground Hog Day — the day when we all find out if this unbearably cold winter weather lasts for six more weeks or if warmer temperatures are just around the corner.

There was a day last fall when the first cool front arrived that I vowed to never again complain about the cool weather after the hot dry summer was fading away. I complain that I’m not a “sun worshipper,” and then come about mid-February, I’m complaining again that I don’t like the cold, either. So which one is it?

By Ken Esten Cooke— The years-long drought has amplified what is a growing concern for Texas and its economy: the need for ample supplies of fresh water.

As of last October, about 27 percent of the state’s community water systems were under voluntary or mandatory water restrictions (including Fredericksburg’s).

Though voters in November approved $2 billion in seed money for water projects statewide, much has yet to be done, and we are hopeful that encouraged innovations will bring about ways to create, reuse or otherwise tap into previously unused water sources.

These are exciting times in Fredericksburg. A growing, healthy market is continuing to attract new investment, business and residents.

But that growth can come with unforeseen and unwanted consequences, and we are glad our city council is open to taking action to guard against one pitfall of population creep — the brightening of our night skies.

On Monday, advocates for dark skies gave a presentation to the city council about a new Outdoor Lighting Ordinance that could help preserve our night views for decades to come.

While some may see this as only an aesthetic issue, doing nothing will affect both quality of life and, potentially, tourism for those seeking to escape the “bright lights, big city” for a night under the stars.

Flu and allergy seasons have struck the Hill Country, and signs point to continued misery for those who get stricken.

Unfortunately, flu’s caustic grasp is not nearly over. Its “season” begins in October, peaks in January and February, and can stretch as late as May.

The flu is spread when a person coughs, sneezes or talks and droplets containing the virus land in a person’s mouth or nose, or the virus can spread when people touch infected surfaces, then touch their eyes, mouth or nose.

To protect yourself from getting the flu, doctors say to get the flu shot, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, and wash your hands in warm water. Also, drink plenty of fluids, get plenty of rest and eat healthy.

Those with severe allergies may feel as though they have the flu. As we heard this week, “every paradise has its curse, and ours is cedar fever.”

They say the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and one could say that state Rep. Doug Miller heard Gillespie County residents’ wheels turning loud and clear.

Last week, Miller contacted Phil Wilson, executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation. The legislator repeated the same concerns locals have after TxDOT’s ill-advised rise in the speed limit from 70 to 75 on U.S. Highways 290 and 87 and State Highway 16.

“I applaud TxDOT for its efforts to keep Texans moving,” Miller wrote, “but agree with my local officials that safety must be the first consideration.”

Both the City of Fredericksburg and the Gillespie County Commissioners Court sent communications to Miller asking for his help in getting TxDOT to reconsider the bump up in speed.

Here it is, the beginning of the year, and I do not have any New Year’s resolutions. No core-shattering epiphanies, no.

According to USA.gov, the top resolutions from around the country are:

• Lose weight;

• Volunteer to help others;

• Quit smoking;

• Get a better education;

• Get a better job;

• Save money;

• Get fit;

• Eat healthy food;

• Manage stress;

• Manage debt;

• Take a trip;

• Reduce, reuse and recycle, and,

• Drink less alcohol.

Christine and I didn’t make any giant resolutions, but we do want to hang out with friends more often than we have since we moved here. I am glad to say we already have had a friends’ night with kids, pizza and games. In-person socializing is far better than any television show.

I do have several ongoing projects that I say I will do better each year.

There is a situation brewing in the Gillespie County tax assessor-collector’s office, and it’s one that needs attention from everyone involved.

City of Fredericksburg officials made more than clear that they are unhappy with the current collection and disbursement procedures in the office, led by county tax assessor-collector Marissa Weinheimer. City Manager Kent Myers and Brad Kott, the city’s director of finance, minced no words at the recent public meeting when they addressed the problems they perceive in the office: no electronic transfers; the lack of timely bank reconciliations; as well as the accuracy of the tax collection reports.

Myers and Kott say that both Fredericksburg Independent School District and the Harper ISD are considering a switch to the Gillespie Central Appraisal District to improve tax collections and efficiencies.

Even though this week’s Standard-Radio Post carries a dateline of Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014, the newspaper was published on Monday, Dec. 30 so that most of our readers would receive their newspapers before the new year begins, rather than after the holiday.

And since it comes out on the “eve” of New Year’s Eve, readers this week will notice that there are any number of New Year’s Eve dances scheduled across the county at which revelers can say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new.

Even though the number of dance halls has dwindled over the years, there was a time when virtually every community in the county had a dance hall.

This was before the time of rapid transportation, so the residents did not have far to travel to find entertainment.